Icy roads cause problems

Freezing rain resulted in slick roadways Friday morning as many people in Leavenworth County headed to work.

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By John Richmeier

The Leavenworth Times - Leavenworth, KS

By John Richmeier

Posted Dec. 14, 2013 at 10:43 AM

By John Richmeier

Posted Dec. 14, 2013 at 10:43 AM

Freezing rain resulted in slick roadways Friday morning as many people in Leavenworth County headed to work.

And, local road crews were preparing Friday afternoon for the possibility of more potentially hazardous winter weather.

Slick roads were blamed for several vehicle crashes Friday morning. Leavenworth Police Chief Pat Kitchens said five crashes were reported within a short period of time, leading the Police Department to temporarily switch to a walk-in status for reporting crashes.

Kitchens said police asked people to wait to report incidents until after conditions improved unless injuries were involved.

In one of the crashes, a car ended up in a creek at 10th Avenue and Wellington Street.

Kitchens said a woman was exiting the Wellington subdivision.

She came upon a stop sign, but her car apparently slid into the intersection.

The car was struck by a southbound vehicle on 10th Avenue and pushed into the creek.

No one was injured in the crash. But, a relative of one of the people involved arrived on scene and

slipped, receiving minor injuries, Kitchens said.

Kitchens said a Leavenworth police car became stuck at 20th Street and New Lawrence Road. City crews were able to help police get the car unstuck.

Kitchens said people should not try to drive in icy conditions unless absolutely essential.

"There is no way to maneuver safely when the roads are icy," he

said.

He said driving through heavy snow also is treacherous and it's best for people to stay home.

"It's safer for them," Kitchens said. "It's safer for us."

When people have to drive in wintry weather, Leavenworth County Undersheriff Jim Sherley said they should "slow down, take care, leave early."

If drivers start having problems, they need to make sound decisions, Sherley said.

"React calmly rather than jerking the wheel," he said.

Sherley said three crashes were reported to the Leavenworth County Sheriff's Office on Friday morning. One occurred in a parking lot. None resulted in injuries.

Lansing Police Clerk Ann Magee said three crashes were reported in Lansing during about a half hour period Friday morning.

Leavenworth Public Works Director Mike McDonald said city personnel treated emergency snow routes with salt and sand Friday morning and planned to retreat roads later in the day.

He said crews will plow roads if at least one inch of snow falls.

Lansing Public Works Director John Young said there had been patchy ice on Lansing roadways Friday morning.

Page 2 of 2 - "We went ahead and treated everything," he said.

He said there was a good chance workers would be back out again as more winter weather was expected.

"We're prepared," he said.

Leavenworth County Public Works Director Mike Spickelmier said a county crew treated roads Friday morning. And another crew would be working late Friday afternoon and into the night.

A winter weather advisory was scheduled to remain in effect through 9a.m. today for Leavenworth County and surrounding counties.

In Leavenworth, there was a chance of more rain and snow Friday night, and then a chance of snow and freezing drizzle during the early morning hours today. New precipitation amounts were expected to be between a tenth and a quarter of an inch, according to a forecast from the National Weather Service.